Take it with my blessing

Theft at construction sites is nothing new. Have you ever seen ladders hanging from large cranes at construction sites and wondered why they were hanging there? So they wouldn't get stolen overnight or over the weekend.

The crew building the Rock Island house has taken some measure to theft-proof the construction site as weeknight and weekend work continues. Lumber, ladders and tools were hoisted to the second floor. Lights were kept on all night. The front door was set as soon as the walls were enclosed so the door could be locked to make access to the second floor as difficult as possible.

Those measures didn't stop whoever was determined enough in the middle of the night to climb up there and steal the ladders, measuring tape, tools and even the lights from the site.

Paul prayed with the volunteers who came to help this weekend - prayed for the consciences of those who stole, prayed that God would reach their hearts, and prayed that if they really needed the equipment (for livlihood and not drug money) they would have it with a blessing.

Sometime Sunday, a couple of ladders, the measuring tape and other items were returned to the mission, left lying on the ground where the staff would surely see.

Paul admits that he had already gone to the store to replace some of John Davidson's equipment.

"I didn't wait on God long enough," he said.

Lesson learned for all of us.